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Live: What To Know April 16 About COVID-19 In Wisconsin

The number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin continues to grow.

The state Department of Health Services announced Thursday there are 3,875 positive casesof COVID-19 statewide and 197 deaths.

As the response to the virus evolves, Wisconsin Public Radio will be keeping track of up-to-date happenings here, and in our broadcast and online coverage. If you have questions or concerns about COVID-19 — either about the virus, prevention or preparation — ask us and we'll do our best to answer.

For explanations for common questions and additional information about COVID resources, read WisContext's story listing 10 things to know about the pandemic and public health in the state.

A longtime columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and respected black journalist has died at 63, and whether his death was due to COVID-19 is under investigation. Eugene Kane died Thursday, according tomultiplereports citing the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner.

Kane was best known as a metro columnist for the Journal Sentinel, where he won numerous awards. He took a buyout from the newspaper in 2012, after writing his column for 18 years. He continued to write op-eds for the Journal Sentinel and later for other Milwaukee media, and he appeared frequently on WPR's Ideas Network. He also maintained a presence on Twitter, where he was sharp-elbowed about his liberal politics and free with jokes. On April 3, he tweeted, "It's amazing to remember how anxious I was for the year 2020 to finally get here. What the hell was I thinking?"

3:35 PM: GOP Leader Will Seek 'Legal Or Legislative' Ways To Block Extension Of Stay-Home Order

Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said he's against the governor's extension of the safer-at-home order and will try to stop it from going into effect.

"Health and safety are a priority, however to extend this order for another month without a plan for how to reopen the state or clear benchmarks for an early expiration is simply unacceptable," Fitzgerald said in a statement. He said the Senate is "planning to look for legal or legislative relief" to change the order.

At a Thursday press conference, Gov. Tony Evers' legal counsel Ryan Nilsestuen said the extension of the order is legal under longstanding powers held by the state Department of Health Services to fight infectious disease outbreaks, such as closing down businesses found to cause a public health risk.

Fitzgerald said since rural counties haven't seen the number of cases as urban and suburban areas have, they should not have to have the same restrictions. The Evers administration's position is that because people travel throughout the state for work or for other reasons, it's necessary to have a statewide policy.

2:23 PM: Evers Says Bipartisan Coalition Of Governors Will Work Together To Reopen States

At a Thursday press conference, Gov. Tony Evers said Wisconsin has joined a partnership with other Midwestern governors who will coordinate on ways to reopen the economy in the Midwest region.

The announcement comes the same day Evers announced the state would extend its safer-at-home order through May 26, and that schools would remain closed through the end of the school year.

"We can’t think about this like flipping a light switch," Evers said of reopening the economy. "It's like turning a dial."

The other governors participating in the coalition are Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Tim Walz of Minnesota, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Eric Holcomb and Indiana and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) never sent requested testing materials to Wisconsin, which is preventing the state from performing more tests for COVID-19, three of Wisconsin's U.S. representatives wrote in a letter to FEMA.

Reps. Ron Kind, Gwen Moore, and Mark Pocan, all D-Wisconsin, sent the letter following up on various requests for critical supplies, like personal protective equipment. The letter states that Wisconsin has received three shipments of supplies from the national stockpile, but the third shipment contained 50 percent fewer N95 masks than expected, and none contained the requested testing materials.

"The State of Wisconsin needs FEMA’s support in providing testing supplies to be able to test at our full lab capacity to effectively respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, we respectfully request you expedite the supplies included in the State’s March 28th and 29th request to FEMA," the letter reads.

The representatives asked for a response no later than April 17 and a timeline for the delivery of the supplies.

11:52 AM: Wisconsin Bankers: More Small Business Loans Needed

In response to the news that the Paycheck Protection Program had dried up, the Wisconsin Bankers Association called on lawmakers to take further action to provide relief:

The bankers are "strongly advocating for Congress immediately to authorize new PPP funding to meet the payroll needs of small businesses struggling during the coronavirus pandemic," said WBA CEO Rose Oswald Poels in a statement. "We again call on lawmakers to approve additional funding expeditiously, so Wisconsin’s banks can continue to provide this important financial lifeline to small businesses."

10:15 AM: Superior Mayor Unveils $667K Aid Package For City Residents

Families in need would get assistance with rent, small businesses will get emergency grants, and wastewater and landfill late fees will be waived under a new COVID-19 relief package unveiled Thursday by the mayor of Superior.

The Superior Coronavirus Relief Package amounts to $667,000, according to a release from Mayor Jim Paine. That includes $250,000 in emergency Community Development Block Grant funding that will go toward rent for low- and moderate-income families. Another $50,000 will go to fund housing for the homeless who have potentially been exposed to the virus.

Other grants in the package will go to nonprofits in Superior that have responded to the pandemic, an emergency grant program for small businesses and waiving some fees for businesses and property owners.

"The proposals we are announcing today cannot and will not solve the economic problems created by the COVID-19 pandemic," Paine said in a statement. "But, in partnership with our state and federal governments, we hope to limit the damage and speed up the recovery for the people of Superior."

The proposals will need to be passed by City Council to become law. Paine said he "look(s) forward to (Council's) questions and support."

9:50 AM: Protest Of Stay-At-Home Orders Planned In Madison For April 24

Online organizers are calling for a protest at the state Capitol on Friday, April 24 seeking an end to Wisconsin's stay-at-home order.

9 AM: UW Regents To Take Up Furloughs Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The UW System Board of Regents will meet Thursday to consider granting UW System president Ray Cross and UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank authority to put furlough policies into place.

According to the meeting agenda, "The furlough policies will provide options in addition to the other workforce reduction and cost saving measures, to address these financial challenges in a way that minimizes layoffs and maximizes the UW System’s ability to continue to perform its critical educational and outreach mission."

The meeting, which will take place at 2:30 p.m., comes after UW System announced it is expecting to lose nearly $170 million in revenue this spring due to the new coronavirus.

WEDNESDAY: Smithfield Foods Inc. To Close Pork Plants Due To Pandemic

The Wall Street Journal reports that Smithfield Foods Inc. will close two more pork-processing plants due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smithfield Foods is the top pork producer in the United States. It announced it will close plants this week in Wisconsin and Missouri.

WEDNESDAY: Edgewood College Announces $500K Fund For Students

Edgewood College undergraduate students can apply for up to $1,500 though a new Presidential Relief Fund, The Cap Times reports.

The goal of the fund is to assist as many students as possible to continue their course of study at Edgewood College in the fall.

The Edgewood Board of Trustees approved the $500,000 fund earlier this month to provide immediate cash relief to students.

"So many service industries that our students rely on for employment are affected," Edgewood Interim President Sr. Mary Ellen Gevelinger said in a statement. "We are fortunate to be able to offer a program that will provide some support for our students to help with basic needs like groceries, rent and unexpected expenses during this national and global health crisis."

WEDNESDAY: Gov. Tony Evers Sign COVID-19 Relief Bill

Within hours of its passage by the state Senate, Gov. Tony Evers signed the COVID-19 relief bill. The bill lifts a one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance in Wisconsin. It would also require health insurers to cover COVID-19 testing and bars those insurers from discriminating against people who have or have had the virus.

"Although I remain concerned about what is missing from this legislation I have called for this bill to be sent over for my signature as soon as possible," Evers said in a written statement. "The bill I will sign falls short of what is needed to address the magnitude and gravity of what our state is facing, but I am not willing to delay our state’s response to this crisis."

Evers said he was disappointed that the bill does not provide hazard pay or workers compensation for all frontline and critical workers like first responders, childcare providers, and healthcare workers.

WEDNESDAY: DHS Reports 3,721 COVID-19 Cases, 182 Deaths In Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 166 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin on Wednesday afternoon, taking the statewide total to 3,721. The disease has caused 182 deaths.

Sixty-five of the state's 72 counties have confirmed cases. As of Wednesday afternoon the following counties still have no confirmed cases: Burnett, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Pepin, Taylor and Vernon.

According to DHS, 1,091 people across the state have been hospitalized for the disease.

As of Wednesday, 39,326 Wisconsinites have tested negative for the virus.

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